Living large from Moscow to Milan: Russian state company executives snap up luxury homes in Italy while funding the war in Ukraine

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Andrey Akimov, Gazprombank: A luxury apartment steps from Juliet’s balcony

Gazprombank CEO Andrey Akimov has a luxury apartment in the historic center of Verona, the setting for Shakespeare’s most famous love story. Akimov has led state-controlled Gazprombank for over 20 years and is considered to be close to Putin’s inner circle. Under Akimov’s leadership, the bank has become an integral cog in the Kremlin machine, financing state projects and providing payroll services for Russian state security forces and the military.

Since 2011, Akimov has also served on the boards of Gazprom and of Rosneftegaz (the latter state company controls a majority stake in Rosneft). In 2014, he became a board member of Rosneft itself.

Gazprombank's influence extends far beyond finance. Through its media holding, Gazprom-Media, it controls some of Russia’s biggest propaganda platforms, including NTV, RuTube, and part of the social media platform VK. In 2023, the U.S., Canada, and Ukraine sanctioned Gazprom-Media, labeling it a “disinformation platform” that plays a key role in supporting Putin’s regime.

As previously reported by the independent investigative outlet Important Stories, Akimov and his relatives own property from Ibiza to Cyprus — and from Vienna to the Caribbean. The Insider and Agents of War can now add to this collection a 168 m² luxury apartment in the heart of Verona, at Piazzetta XIV Novembre, 2/4 (coordinates: 45°26'34.9 N 10°59'47.7 E).

This city of romance, immortalized by Shakespeare, attracts millions of tourists each year — but not everyone comes for Juliet’s balcony and the old city’s charming streets. In 2011, Akimov secured his spot in one of Verona’s most prestigious neighborhoods — just steps from the Maffei Palace, Lamberti Tower, Piazza dei Signori, and, of course, Juliet’s legendary balcony.